Vietnam heroes should be remembered

March 29, 2018 marked the first anniversary of the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day.

The day was designated as Vietnam Veterans Day in Newnan by proclamation of the City of Newnan Mayor Keith Brady. This day honors the men and women who served in the controversial Vietnam War.

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Two men from Coweta County received the Medal of Honor for conspicuous acts of bravery during the Vietnam War: Major Stephen Pless, ‎US Marine Corps; and Colonel Joe Jackson, US Air Force.

One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Twenty three men who died in the Vietnam War listed Coweta County as their home of record. The proclamation states that over 500 men and women from Coweta County served in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War, Nov. 1, 1955–April 30, 1975, took the lives of more than 58,000 Americans in service to America and the cause of freedom. If you have been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., you know that it chronologically lists their names. The youngest who died was 15; the oldest was 62.

Why is this important? Many men and women did not return home. However, many returned with their heads down. They took their uniforms off and didn’t want to talk about “it.”

Some never have.

Some who returned have died from or are now suffering from Agent Orange, an insidious thief of health, present and potentially future. I hope you will remember, not on just one

day but every day.

If we think of the freedoms we enjoy, every day is Veterans Day. The cause of

freedom is great as well as the cost. If you see a veteran of any era, it is not too late to say, “Thank you for your service.”

As one very thankful citizen, I gratefully accept their sacrifices for my bounty of freedom. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I salute you, one and all.

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